On March 23, the TKU Extracurricular Activities Section held an open conference to discuss with TKU students and faculty issues related to the soon-to-be-implemented compulsory club and society courses. The new course is designed to help equip students with a broader range of skills that they can later apply in the workforce. The Dean of the TKU Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Ko Chin-en, said that although the course will only account for 1 credit point, it will nonetheless be an essential part of the curriculum that students will have to complete before graduating.

The course itself will consist of both a professional, theory-based curriculum, as well as a more practical ‘activity participation’ component. Dr. Ko emphasized that participation in clubs and societies will just be one aspect of the new course. It will also involve taking part in activities held by department associations, independent organizations, and anti-smoking events held by the TKU Counseling Section.

The conference was eagerly attended by TKU students. One student asked “Why, if the fees for this course are included in our school fees, must we also pay for club and society fees that we attend as part of this compulsory course? ” Dr. Ko responded: “If students have difficulties paying for club and society fees on top of the course fees, they can also complete the course by instead taking part in volunteer service work.”

4th year student, Lin Jia xuan, who is currently working as an intern at a major Taiwanese company, shared how many of the skills that he learned while participating in TKU clubs and societies have helped him to no end during his internship.